Overhanging eaves with gutters



July 19, 1966 FIG.|

M. M. MILLER 3,261,132

OVERHANGING EAVES WITH GUTTERS Filed Aug. 6, 1962 FIG.4

Flea

INVENTOR.

MAURICE. M. MILLER BY Z ATTORNEY5 United States Patent 3,261,132 OVERHANGING EAVES WITH GUTTERS Maurice M. Miller, 4404 E. 105th, Seattle, Wash. Filed Aug. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 215,088 Claims. (CI. 5211) The present invention relates to an improved construction for the gutter, eave sheathing and related roof flashing components of building structures of the type with sloped overhanging caves, and aims to provide a prefabricated sheet of simple and economical construction providing such components as a unit.

A further object is to provide a particular durable gutter-eave sheathing-roof flashing construction which can be easily applied.

Another important object is to provide an arrangement whereby windows and flora beneath overhanging caves are exposed to more light than with conventional construction.

Other objects and advantages in view will appear and be understood in the course of the following description and claims, the invention consisting in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a typical installation embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the flashing portion with a mopped roof.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the gutter portion at the location of a downspout nipple.

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view at one of th nail connections to the rafters.

Referring to the drawings it is seen that for purposes of example I have illustrated a frame side wall of conventional construction including studs 10, double plate 11, blocking 12, and sloping rafters 13 with an eave overhang terminating at a facia 14. The eave is sheathed with the central portion 16 of lengths of translucent plastic sheets 15 fabricated, for example, by hand lay up, preform or mat molding of the glass-fiber reinforced polyesters commonly used for architectural sheets. Each of these sheets bends downwardly along the lower longitudinal side edge of its sheathing portion 16 by a quarterturned elbow 17 to an open gutter 18. Along its other longitudinal edge the gutter 18 terminates by a concavoconvex reinforcing rib 20 having its convex side facing upwardly and at a level below that of the top of the elbow 17.

The sheets 15 are nailed at 19 to the rafters through pre-punched holes provided at the rafter module. These nails are preferably either provided with fiber or elastic sealing Washers 20, or have their heads resin mopped after being nailed in position.

For maximum economy and convenience the sheets 15 are prefabricated in various lengths comprising integer multiples of standard rafter modules. At their ends the sheets may be butted and the butt joints then mopped with glass fiber reinforced plastic to seal the joints, or one end of each sheet can be upset during forming to permit a lap joint.

It will be noted that the sheets 15 are wide enough to extend upwardly beyond the side wall of the related building structure to provide a flashing portion 21. The latter may be overlapped by the roof sheathing 22 and the roof finished in a conventional manner. For example, if a tar mopped roof is desired a cant strip 23 can be nailed at the lower edge of the roof sheathing 22 as shown in FIG. 2 to serve as a stop for the tar and roof aggregate. In the case of a shingle roof the shingles are nailed to terminate at the eave sheathing portion 16 3,261,132 Patented July 19, 1966 of the sheet 15 as indicated by the broken line shingle outline in FIG. 1.

The sheets 15 are positioned such that the inner wall 18a of the gutter firmly bears against the outer face of the facia 14. A drain slope can then be readily applied to the gutter by inserting wedge shaped shims 24 of varying thicknesses between the gutter walls 18a and the facia to thereby spring the gutter outwardly about the elbow 17 as a fulcrum. To elaborate, the gutter may be prefabricated so that when the sheet 15 is in a relaxed state the sheathing and flashing portions 16, 21 thereof are normal to a longitudinal upright plane extending midway between the opposed lower edges of the rib 20 and elbow 17 and the extreme lower end of the gutter. Thus when the sheet 15 is installed the gutter portion is sprung outwardly to the vertical in engagement with the facia 14. Then when the shim 24 is applied it springs the adjacent portion of the gutter away from a true vertical and therefore raises the bottom of the adjacent part of the gutter. Accordingly, by adjusting the thickness of a series of shims along the length of the gutter a proper drain slope can be readily obtained.

To provide for downspouts, drain openings are provided in the gutter in selected of the sheets 15 and these are fitted with flanged nipples 25 bonded in place as shown in FIG. 3. At the end of a gutter run the terminal sheets 15 may be fitted with plastic end caps or the end rafters may be extended as clousures for the gutter with the aid of suitable sealant such as epoxy adhesive.

From the foregoing explanation it is believed apparent that my combination gutter-eave sheathing-roof flashing sheets 15 can be readily applied and easily adjusted for proper gutter draining. Furthermore, because of the translucent property of the sheet 15, the eave sheathing portion thereof permits light transfer through the caves to the underlying windows in the building structure, thereby brightening the related rooms over the natural lighting factor which would be achieved by conventional roof construction with the same amount of overhang. In addition, flora planted beneath the translucent eaves is benefited by increased sunlight.

It is thought that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description. Changes will suggest themselves and may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, wherefore it is my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation to which the employed language admits.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a building structure with a side wall surmounted by a sloping roof with overhanging rafters terminating at a facia, a translucent plastic sheet secured to said rafters and covering the overhanging portion thereof as an eave sheathing section with upper and lower faces exposed for light transmission and extending by its upper edge above said side wall as a roof flashing section, roofing overlapping said flashing section, the lower edge of said sheet bending downwardly by an elbow against said facia to an integral gutter extending therealong and having its outer free longitudinal edge spaced below the level of the lower edge of said eave sheathing section, said eave sheathing section and roof flashing sections being collectively considerably wider than said gutter.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said side wall has windows receiving light through said eave sheathing section.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said sheet is glass-fiber reinforced.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said outer edge of the gutter is formed with a longitudinal rib.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which shims of varying thicknesses are inserted between said gutter and the facia to give a drain slope to the gutter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 252,375 1/1882 Hayes 52-88 334,160 1/1886 Berger 61-15 X 848,537 3/1907 Davis 52-552 1,752,827 4/1930 Young 52 -409 2,724,303 11/1955 Holcomb 52 553 X 2,832,202 4/1958 Norum 6114 2,921,814 1/1960 M666 52-420 X 3,102,365 9/1963 Whitesell 52 73 X 4 FOREIGN PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES American Builder; page 118; May 1946. Architectural Record; page 197, December 1957.

House and Home, pages 30 and 31, November 1958.

House and Home; page 207, November 1958.

EARL J. WITMER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH A SIDE WALL SURMOUNTED BY A SLOPING ROOF WITH OVERHANGING RAFTERS TERMINATING AT A FACIA, A TRANSLUCENT PLASTIC SHEET SECURED TO SAID RAFTERS AND COVERING THE OVERHANGING PORTION THEREOF AS AN EAVE SHEATHING SECTION WITH UPPER AND LOWER FACES EXPOSED FOR LIGHT TRANSMISSION AND EXTENDING BY ITS UPPER EDGE ABOVE SAID SIDE WALL AS A ROOF FLASHING SECTION, ROOFING OVERLAPPING SAID FLASHING SECTION, THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID SHEET BENDING DOWNWARDLY BY AN ELBOW AGAINST SAID FACIA TO AN INTEGRAL GUTTER EXTENDING THEREALONG AND HAVING ITS OUTER FREE LONGITUDINAL EDGE SPACED BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID EAVE SHEATHING SECTION, SAID EAVE SHEATHING SECTION AND ROOF FLASHING SECTIONS BEING COLLECTIVELY CONSIDERABLY WIDER THAN SAID GUTTER. 